


vincula amoris

by skyefinal



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Astrals - Freeform, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen, I wasn't crying at the end of the game nope, Little bits of Fabula Nova Crystallis mythology here and there, Noct & Animals, Spoilers if you haven't finished the game, everything is fine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-09-16 02:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9269192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyefinal/pseuds/skyefinal
Summary: Just tiny drabbles to fill in the blanks between scenes, chapters, anything from the world of FFXV.ch1.the aftermath of ch13 | ch2.king's death | ch3.fabula nova crystallis trioch4.mark of the astrals | ch5.noct and furry friends | ch6.KHR crossoverch7.engine blade





	1. Nox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> End of ch 13

_Deus dormit_  
_Et liberi ignem faciunt_  
_Numquam extinguunt_  
_Ne expergisci possit_  
  
_Omnia dividit_  
_Tragoedia coram_  
_Amandum quae_  
  
_Et nocte perpetua_  
_In desperatione_  
_Auroram videre potest_  
_Mane tempus expergiscendi_

                  - _Somnus_

* * *

 "Goddammit!"

Gladio roared in frustration, slamming his fist onto the railing. The three of them could only watch the chancellor stroll away, care-free and whistling. The wounds inflicted from his sword and Prompto's bullets faded away in black, oozing mist. 

_"Ah, here for the king? I'm afraid you are too late, the Crystal has taken him now. Who knows when he'll awaken? Perhaps soon, perhaps when you are all dead."_

If only he had defeated the daemons faster and ran up quicker, he might've been able to grab hold of Noctis before he was eaten by the Crystal. He never wanted to see such fear on his face ever again. Gods, wasn't the Crystal suppose to purge the daemons and the Starscourge? 

Gloved hands touched his arm, startling Gladio out of his self-reprimanding. Ignis murmured softly that he could hear the railing creaking under his fist and gently pried his fingers away from it.

"What...what should we do now?" Prompto said quietly, examining the Crystal in hopes of finding his best friend. It was terrifying seeing Noctis slowly being sucked into it and that final scream...Prompto shuddered.

"How does the Crystal look?" Ignis calmly asked, already his mind was trying to remember everything he read regarding the Crystal. It was the source of power to the Lucis family, he had never heard of the Crystal consuming one of the royal family members.

"It looks like a huge rock." Gladio answered.

If this was another place and time, Prompto would've giggled. The great Crystal merely depicted as a rock. "It's about as tall as Gladio, it sort of has a crack on the side so you can see the inside...but it's not glow-y anymore. Before..." Prompto swallowed, "Before Noct...it was blue and shiny but now it's dull."

"I see."

Prompto shifted on his feet, biting his lips. "Should we...move it? That Ardyn guy said Noct might wake up soon! So, if we moved the Crystal to somewhere safe and wait for Noct to wake up-!"

Gladio cut in sharply, almost snarling. "And did you forget that he said Noct might wake up when we're all dead?"

"But...we still got to try, right?" Prompto said. Ignis didn't need his eyes in order to see the tears ready to fall from the youngest. "He's still alive, right?"

"He is."

Like a snowflake fluttering softly to the ground, Gentiana appeared in front of the group. With her appearance, the temperature in the hanger dropped suddenly. 

Ignoring the fact that the Glacian's incarnation popped out of nowhere, Prompto stepped forward, eagerly seeking answers. "Noct really is alive!? Why did the Crystal eat him? When will he wake up?"

Gladio reeled back Prompto with a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it in comfort but also to calm the blond.

"The King of Kings enters Crystal Stasis to gather the Light to vanquish the plague. He is still very much alive, however to gather the Light it must be done within the Crystal's realm." The Messenger glided to the Crystal and held up a hand. A small, but soft glow emitted from the Crystal.

All that could seen was just the ethereal light, but then Prompto could see a small black figure in the midst of the teal light. "Noct!"

Prompto rushed forward, almost throwing off Galdio's hand off. Eyes glued to the curled-up figure of Noctis floating he didn't notice Gentiana moving. With Gentiana's hand away from the Crystal the light was cut off, making the Messenger's eyes all that more evident as she stared down at him.

"Only the King of Kings may touch the Crystal."

The blond nodded, words caught in his throat.

"Milady, what do you propose we do? How long must we wait for Noct to awaken?" Ignis stepped next to Prompto, Gladio on the other side.

At this, Gentiana became remorseful. "The Accursed speaks true, only the Gods know when those in Crystal Stasis will awaken."

"But aren't you a god?" Prompto questioned.

The Messenger gave a small rueful smile, answering without an answer. "We are only Astrals." Gentiana raised a hand and gestured to the three. Spheres emerged and floated towards them and into their bodies, they could feel their injuries and fatigue vanish. "This is all I can do. Make haste, with the Oracle slain and the True King asleep, the plague will only increase."

"And what about Noct? What if he wakes up and we're not there but the bastard is?" This time Gladio spoke up, staring down at Gentiana.

"Fear not, shield. When the True King awakes, The Accursed will await him in Insomnia. The Lord of Dragons will place the True King in a safe haven, an area The Accursed most despises." Gentiana smiled, "Have hope, your King will awaken and vanquish the dark. At his time of Ascension, please do be at his side." 

At Gentiana's last words, her figure slowly started to fade. Her skin changed to pale blue, black hair to white and her robes vanished into clothing made of frost. "The Astrals shall also slumber until the day the True King awakens."

She then vanished, leaving the three alone in the hanger.     

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't imagine the three of them just leaving the crystal there. I decided since Shiva is fond of humans, I wanted her to explain why Noctis was sucked into the crystal.
> 
> I was confused to why Noctis ended up at Angelgard, at first I thought maybe that's an area where Bahamut resided before going into the crystal but in the game it was named as a prison. So then I thought...what if that's the place Ardyn was put into after he was made out to be a monster?


	2. Eos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love the last campfire scene, but I also would've loved to see a scene of the three entering the throne room once dawn broke. This would be my take on what would happen.

_Dormit domine_  
_Nobis caelum som-_  
_Somnus caelum ignosco_  
_Auroram videre potest_  
_Mane tempus expergiscendi_  
_Etagen veni omnia dividi_  
_Kyrie eleison_  
_Kyrie eleison_

                  -parts of  _Omnis Lacrima_

* * *

It wasn't the agonizing final roars of the Iron Giants nor the sounds of Gladio and Prompto dropping their weapons that made Ignis pause during battle. It was the almost foreign warmth on his skin. It wasn't the same comforting warmth from a campfire or the scorching heat from a Firebomb, it was something different that Ignis couldn't put a name to it. 

"Ignis..." Prompto breathed out in awe. "It's dawn. It's not night anymore!"

Oh.

It's sunlight.

Ignis straightened himself up from his battle stance, around him the last of the daemons' screams faded away to nothing. A stillness crept over the remains of Insomnia, gone were the sounds of lurking daemons and the whirring gears of leftover MTs. The three of them stood in front of the Citadel, soaking in the decade late sunlight. 

Prompto beamed at the sunlight filtering through the ruins, he moved to a better spot so he could get the full sun shining down on him. Prompto's fingers twitched to take a photo, but he had left his camera back at Hammerhead. Insomnia in the last decade has been considered the toughest area to clear out daemons as hunters. If he hadn't survived this, he wanted at least some form of himself left in this world. 

Prompto turned around when he heard Gladio make a frustrated sound. Gladio was holding his broadsword up to his chest, staring angrily at it. Before Prompto could open his mouth, Ignis spoke in a soft voice.

"You've noticed it too? We cannot dismiss our weapons anymore."

"No..." Prompto looked down at his guns, hoping he would be able to send his weapons back. Even though he knew what Noctis' ascension would require, he still hoped it wasn't true. 

Mentally thanking the designers of the glaive's uniform to add sheathes for daggers and almost any other type of weapon to be concealed in the jacket, Ignis put away his daggers. He heard Prompto click the safety on his guns and Gladio shifting to hold his broadsword over his shoulder.

None of them took the first step.

Taking the first step would bring them closer to the reality that they didn't want to see. If only they could stay in the fantasy that everything is fine. Prompto stared at the ground, watching each of their shadows becoming longer as the sun raised higher in the sky. He bit his lip thinking bitterly to himself how he wanted to see another shadow along with them.

It was Gladio who grunted and walked up the steps. Ignis dropped a hand onto Prompto's shoulders and squeezed.

"Let's not keep him waiting."

Sucking a deep breath in, Prompto nodded and followed Ignis up the steps.

The three of them kept a steady pace with Gladio taking front. They walked past the desks, got into the elevator once more, and up to the throne doors. It was here Gladio paused, hands clenched into fists before relaxing. Prompto and Ignis didn't say anything, they too wanted some time to prepare themselves.

Gladio moved and opened the doors.

Sunlight filtered down through the gigantic hole on the side of the room, the glass shards from broken windows and chandeliers sparkled and it would actually still look quite beautiful despite the destruction save for their dead king on the throne.

Prompto's eyes instantly filled with tears, he let out a distressed moan at the sight of King Regis' sword pinning Noctis onto the throne. "Noct..."

The blond swayed and had to hold Ignis' arm to stay upright. Ignis moved so his arm wrapped around Prompto's trembling shoulder, gripping the blond's body tighter at hearing his sobs.

"Is he on the throne?" Ignis whispered. 

"Yes. But..." Gladio trailed off. The words caught at his throat, it was hard enough to see his friend dead, but it was another thing to describe how he looked like.

Ignis gently removed his arm from Prompto, transferring him to Gladio. If they were not able to tell him, he would seek the answers himself. Even though blind, Ignis walked as if there was nothing wrong with his eyes. He knew when the steps stopped for a small platform and continued again up to the throne until he was standing right in front of it.

The stench of blood was very evident to Ignis. Very slowly, Ignis raised his right arm to where he thought the armrest would be. He flinched when he felt Noctis' cold hand. Ignis continued up the arm, stopping when he felt a wet patch on the suit. 

Ah, that is where the smell of blood is coming from, Ignis thought to himself. He almost felt detached with how he was calmly accessing everything. He let out a soft gasp when his fingers reached cold metal, the markings very familiar. How could he not, when the marking was the same emblem etched on the back of his jacket and there was only one king that passed that sword to another.

"Oh Noct..." Ignis murmured, dropping his hand to the side of his body. No wonder Gladio couldn't tell Ignis what Noctis looked liked. So lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear Prompto sniffle beside him to his left and Gladio to his right. They each took one of Ignis' hands in a tight grip and wept together.

After a few minutes, Gladio rubbed his eyes and took a shuddering breath. "I'm going to remove it. I don't like the thought of him rotting here. He deserves a royal tomb."

Prompto agreed. "The biggest one."

"It'll be hailed as the grandest tomb for the most deserving king." Ignis added. 

Prompto squeezed his eyes shut when Gladio pulled the sword out, trying to block out the sound it made. Ignis held out his hands to carry the sword, knowing that Prompto would not be willing to. Gladio gently lifted Noctis, he wanted to laugh at how small and light Noctis was in his arms. 

_"I do have muscles! You just can't see them!"_

Blinking back tears, Gladio carried Noctis down the steps. Ever since he was young he was trained to be the shield, what a failure he is for living longer than his king. As Gladio continued down and a few steps away from the door, the light grew stronger, nearly blinding him. Gladio resisted the urge to shield his eyes from the sun, he didn't want to accidentally drop Noctis.

It was Prompto's yell that made Gladio stop and actually see where the light was originating from.

Noctis was glowing.

"What the-!?" Gladio watched as Noctis' body slowly harden. Not because of rigor mortis, but because Noctis was literally turning into crystal. It started from the tips of his fingers and feet, skin shimmering in the light until every last inch of Noctis was incased in crystal.

Prompto grabbed a crystal hand. "Why-why is he turning into crystal!?" 

At the gunslinger's words Ignis also grabbed a hand, dropping the sword with a clatter. He gasped when he felt crystal instead of flesh. "What on Eos...?"

A light breeze caused Gladio's hair to sway, such a light breeze shouldn't be able to lift Noctis' body up but it did. The three of them tightened their hold on their friend, not wanting Noctis to float away when they just finally got him back.

Their hearts dropped when a cracking sound echoed in the throne room.

Gladio shouted when the he felt the body in his arms shatter.

"No!" Prompto screamed. He clutched the crystal shards in his hands, trying to keep it from disappearing but like sand they fell out. The tears came once more, nothing made sense. "Why did he turn to crystal!? Wasn't it enough that he died? What more did the Crystal want from him?!"

Ignis bit his lip, he too also wanted to curse the Crystal but instead he drew Prompto into his arms. The only sound now in the room were Prompto's sobs. 

Gladio wanted to scream and cry at the same time. It was like Noctis died a second time, to see the body crystallize and shatter in his arms...he wanted to shatter the Crystal embedded above the throne. Gladio turned his gaze to glare at the Crystal, but his eyes widened when he saw the throne.

"Guys..." Gladio uttered. Prompto turned around and stared in awe. 

"Whoa..." The blond quickly tried to describe everything to Ignis, so focused in trying to get the words out he didn't notice how still Ignis was.

Ignis couldn't breathe. Ever since he lost his sight he could see shadows move, could tell when he was near fire, but this made him almost feel faint. He could  _see_. Ignis could see exactly what Prompto was describing.

The hole in the room was gone, the rubble vanished. The throne looked pristine as ever, looking almost exactly like it was all those years ago when he and his friends stood in front of King Regis save for a few changes. 

White ribbons draped over the pillars, a rich, vibrant red carpet was laid over the steps to the throne and flowers were placed over the railings. A banner symbolizing harmony and union hung above the throne.

"It looks like it's a wedding ceremony." Ignis whispered. It looked exactly how he'd imagined Noctis' wedding would've looked like. If everything had gone right.

Gladio wanted to comment on Ignis' choice of words, but before he could blue petals blew from behind them. All three turned around and froze.

Lunafreya smiled at the three glaives. She was dressed in pure white, the off-shoulder gown reached all the way to the floor and her sleeved arms covered in the same satin material. Her only accessories was a pendant in her braided hair and a necklace.

It was the same gown the three of them saw in Altissia.  

Lunafreya's smile widened, her warm eyes met all of theirs. She didn't speak, but Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis could see the appreciation in her gaze.

_Thank you._

Her heels clicked against the floor as she slowly walked towards the three.

Boots lightly thudded against the floor from behind them.

A figure brushed past them and held out an arm to Lunafreya. With Luna's hand tucked neatly in the crook of his elbow, he turned and smiled shyly at his friends.

Prompto let out a wet laugh, tears blurring his vision once more but at least for a happier reason. "Looking good Noct."

Noctis was dressed in the traditional wedding suit of the Lucis family. A gold sash went from his shoulder diagonally across his slate tailcoat. His trousers were same shade as his black vest and white gloves adorned his hands. 

"Stunning, the two of you." Ignis added, eyes wet with tears as well. The advisor was glad he could see Noctis once more, he tried to soak in as much detail as possible. "Although your hair still remains a mess."

Noctis raised a hand and tried to straighten out his hair more.

"Couldn't stand the beard, huh?" Gladio teased. 

Noctis scowled although his eyes were filled with mirth. Lunafreya patted his cheek while grinning, mouth moving but no sound came out. The three watched Noctis laugh. They wanted to burn this image of Noctis and Lunafreya in their minds forever. They looked so happy and carefree, it made their hearts hurt when they remembered how their burdens made them look so old and so tired in the past.

Lunafreya smoothed her gown while Noctis straightened his sash. In the distance, bells rang. The sylleblossom petals continued to flutter downwards.

The bride and groom glided forwards, matching smiles on their faces as their bodies slowly became more and more transparent. Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis parted for the pair and watched as they marched upwards to the throne and finally disappearing once they reached the top.

The decorations faded and the throne room returned back to it's destroyed state.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might come back to edit this, the flow at the end seems a bit off


	3. Fabulae Cristallum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Goddess' Knight.  
> The Cardmaster.  
> The Chosen King.

_One myth, countless stories._  
_The New Tale of the Crystal_  
_LIke the light that shines through the Crystal,_  
_the universe shines with multicoloured content._  

* * *

"Throw away the joy of living as a human, you must fulfill your duty as king." Bahamut's voice echoed in the crystal space, moving his hand away as Noctis' platform and looked on as the human spiral down. "Wish for the power, the power of the True King."

Noctis didn't know how long he fell but eventually he was able to right himself up. All around him was just crystal space, the swirling energy twisting was all he could see. Shrugging, he picked a direction and walked.

There was no path, no change in the scenery around Noctis. It was strange, he didn't feel any fatigue nor hunger. How was he suppose to wish for the power of the True King if he didn't know where to go or do?

"Oh hello."

The young voice almost caused Noctis to have a whiplash from turning his head around so fast. A young man gently smiled at him, blond locks falling over light blue eyes. He was dressed differently then what Noctis have seen in Eos. The man wore a black jacket with a red cape, white pants, and a brown pack on the side of his hip.

Blue eyes widened in alarm, the younger raised his hands to show his palms, "My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you."

Noctis rubbed the back of his neck, "No problem. Wasn't expecting to see anyone here."

The other laughed, "I agree, sometimes it is a bit rare to see another face here."

"And here is?"

The blond smiled and shrugged. "What do you see?" 

All of a sudden, the crystal space changed. Noctis was no longer floating, he was standing on a beach. Dark clouds reigned above, blocking any sunlight shining down. The darkness reminded Noctis of Insomnia at night, but instead of electricity lighting up the city, the light came from a soft green glow from the tall stone structures in this foreign city. 

"What is this place?" 

"A middle place between the real and the unseen." The blond spoke, reciting words like he was reading off of a book. "Valhalla is where the Goddess Etro rules."

Scratching his head, Noctis remained confused. "Okay...guess I'm somewhere far away from Eos. Never heard of Etro before."

The blond perked up. "Is that where you are from? Eos?"

"Yup. Guessing you're not from Eos either?"

"My world was called Orience." 

"Cool," Noctis shifted, trying to figure out a way to not sound blunt. "Look, not to be rude or anything but would you happen to know a way out? I'm suppose to look for something."

The blond put a hand on his chin, thinking. "Hmm, there isn't really a way out..." He snapped his fingers, reminding Noctis of a certain advisor. "We can head to the temple, she might know the answer."

Gesturing to the most tallest building in the city, the blond let Noctis to it. 

"So...I never caught your name. Mine's Noctis, but call me Noct."

"My apologies. I'm Ace."

As the two made their way to the temple the two started to converse of the worlds they came from.

Ace talked about his Orience. A world that started off as a God's experiment. Four nations that each wielded a crystal of immense power and the wars and battles fought over Orience to claim it. The legend of Agito, the saviour of Orience if the world was nearing Tempus Finis. He described the summons, l'cie and their abnormal powers. Ace talked fondly of his classmates, his family. His voice full of regret that he couldn't save his first friend. How Class Zero challenged the judge, their wishes and hopes, how their death brought the end of the cycle. 

Noctis in returned, shared about Eos. How the world was created from the power of the Six. How the Infernian betrayed the others and brought about the Starscourge. How Bahamut gave his family the Crystal, the Oracle line, how the two were suppose to save the world. His fallen kingdom, Luna, his friends, his father. Noctis told Ace what was required from him to banish his ancestor and the Starscourge for good.

It was surprisingly easy to tell Ace everything, he felt an odd kinship with the young soldier. Like they were old friends that haven't seen each other in a decade. 

"And you were fine with that?" Noctis asked. 

"Fighting was all that we had and knew." Ace replied calmly. "We were trained to fight and we were the best class in Akademeia, it would have been selfish of us to hide away. And where would we hide? Milites Empire conquered more and more land each day, there was no where in Orience to live peacefully."   

Ace flipped through his set of cards, idly letting them fly out his hands and vanishing back. "We did have a discussion, after the final battle. What everyone wanted to do after. I'm glad we were able to do that before..." His voice trailed off, eyes glazing over thinking about the past. Ace smiled gently in thanks when Noctis patted his shoulder.

The king felt embarrassed of himself. Ace was younger than him but carried his duty far better than him. Noctis knew of his duties and responsibilities, but he didn't want to put in all of his efforts into it. To do so would mean the reality of his father dying would suffocate him.

Childish yes, but he didn't want to even think about losing his father. He wondered if it would have been better to not form any bonds with anything, would it have made things easier? To this day thinking about Marita, who died to protect him from the Marilith, caused an ache in his chest. 

Lost in each of their thoughts, Ace and Noctis neared the temple. As they climbed up the steps, something slammed into Noctis.

"Whoa!" Quickly regaining his balance on the steps, Noctis grabbed the figure that nearly made him crash down the stairs. "What the-?"

A small cat-sized creature stared at Noctis with large brown eyes. Its fur was tinted green and it had a small ruby horn on its forehead. 

Noctis blinked slowly. "Carbuncle?"

Chirping in joy, Carbuncle began to lick Noctic's face. 

"Hey, whoa, easy there buddy." Noctis laughed, trying to pet and calm the summon's affections down slightly. He gave a mock glare at Ace who just stood laughing beside him.

"Well, you can't blame Carbuncle. He hasn't seen you in a long time."

A woman stood at the top of the stairs. She donned metal armour accented with gold, a shield on her right arm and an odd feather hip-cape. What stood out to Noctis the most was the light pink hair, it was the first time he had seen a shade like that before.

"Ms. Lightning!" Ace greeted her.

"I told you, Light is fine." Lightning chided, although her tone was far from angry. To Noctis, she looked human, but at the same time there was something ethereal about her. Before he knew it she had reached the bottom of the stairs and her sharp gaze turned to him, Noctis unconsciously straightened his posture.

"King Noctis." Lightning bowed her head.

"Ah, it's fine...Noct is fine." Noctis quickly waved a hand, feeling flustered all of a sudden. "I'm...not really a king. Yet."

"Light then. True, you're not king until your ascension, which you are currently undergoing." Lightning gave an amused smirk at Noctis' expression. "One of the perks of being Etro's Champion, She allows me to see."

Noctis was going to open his mouth when Carbuncle decided to shift in his grip. Instead of dropping to the ground, he pawed his way up Noctis' shoulder. Letting out some chirps and yips, Carbuncle rubbed his snout against Noctis and snuggled up against his neck. Noctis could feel his face flush at the smiles Ace and Lightning were giving him.

The knight gestured to the temple doors, "Shall we?"

Ace and Noctis nodded and followed Lightning up the steps. 

"So, who is Etro by the way?"

"Goddess of death, she welcomes souls that have departed through her gate and houses them until they are ready to go. It is from her blood that she spilt that gave rise to humanity. Well, that's what Pulse legends says anyways." Lightning brought the two to a balcony, high enough to look over Valhalla. "In another life, Etro was actually the Patron Goddess for Insomnia." Lightning took a seat, crossing her legs and staring at Noctis. He could've sworn her eyes flashed gold for a moment, he blinked and it was back to her normal blue eyes. "And you would have had the love of the stars instead..."

She shook her head, "Apologies, I'm rambling." 

"S'fine..." Noctis replied, he took a seat, making sure not to dislodge Carbuncle still around his neck. "Is Pulse on the same world as Orience?"

"No, I came from Gran Pulse. It's interesting though, different worlds but some things are the same."

Lightning shared her world, the war between Pulse and Coccoon. The fear of Pulse fal'cie and how the difference in l'cie brand could cause worship or utter fear. Her sister being crystalized and how she and comrades branded by the entity she was taught to fight and fear. The sickening realization they could not ignore their Focus, so they fought in their own terms and succeeded but with a sacrifice. How Etro hated her but loved her all the same and made her champion to prevent the worst possible timeline from happening.

Again, Noctis felt a kinship with Lightning as the three of them talked and listened to each other about their worlds. The three of them being together...it just felt  _right._ And judging by how relaxed the other two were and their smiles, they felt it too.

"It's hard, leaving them." Lightning admitted, when Noctis asked if she ever regretted her fate here at Valhalla. "But I do not regret my choice. Even though I was brought here against my will, if they could all live in peace with me being here I'd choose that option over and over without a doubt."

Noctis leaned back in his seat. Carbuncle had moved down to his lap and he gently scratched behind his ears, wistful and solemn. "You two are so strong. I don't know if I could do that, with the weight of the world on me."

Lightning shrugged. "It's not a question of can or can't, some things in life you just do." 

"Easy for you to say."

"There's truth in what Ms. Light is saying, you just have to keep going." Ace added, "It also helps that I had trusted comrades, family even. It helps to share the burden."

"If you have comrades protecting your back, you can focus on the front." Lightning smiled at her words, her expression fond as she remembered who she told those words to. "And you already have those comrades."

_"Remember-those ain't your bodyguards, they're your brothers."_

Cid's words echoed in Noctis' head. He _knows_ this, he trusts Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto with his life, he didn't know what'd he do without their support. They never were bodyguards to him, maybe in the beginning but as they grew up together and stayed together, they became family. 

"But I want to..." Noctis stopped himself short, realizing how whiney he almost sounded.

Ace nodded, his face not judgemental at all. "Yeah, I wanted to see the world Rem and Machina would've lead with everyone."

"Pains me to say this, but I was looking forward to Serah's wedding. And I know we would've found a way to free Fang and Vanille later so all of us could live on Gran Pulse."

"Yeah." Noctis swallowed, feeling vulnerable and glad, a weird clash of emotions. "Yeah." 

A comfortable silence passed around the three. Lightning and Ace watched as Noctis mulled over their stories and their subtle encouragements. They could see how his shoulders relaxed, and the furrow between his eyebrows smoothed away. They were once in his position, lost and shoulder's heavy with burdens and responsibilities. The knight and cadet were glad they helped him a bit, the rest was up to him.

A sudden glow glided over to the table from over the balcony, a quick flash and a huge formidable white horse equipped with armour. On it's head was a white...creature with a gigantic red-ball antenna on its head. It was wearing a jacket and cape quite similar to Ace. Carbuncle work up and let out a happy sound at the two summons. 

"Moglin!" Ace greeted the Moogle. It floated down to Ace with small wings that should not have been able to support its weight. "Time's up, huh?"

Lightning stood up, rubbing a hand against the flank of the horse. "Thanks, Odin."

"What?" Before Noctis could say more a familiar bark came from behind him. Carbuncle jumped out from his lap and trotted over to the black dog. "Umbra?"

"It was good to have finally met you, Noct." Ace said, his figure slowly dissolving like sand. He held Moglin in his arms and waved. 

Lightning climbed up onto Odin, she summoned her sword and smirked. "After ten years though. Good luck."

"Wait, I don't understand." Noctis tried to move but he started to sink. He looked down and the stone beneath him bled back into the same colour as the crystal space. The surroundings also started to disappear, blurring and fading away. "This was a dream...?"

The knight shook her head, "No, it was very much real. The gods granted you a bit of time here in order for us three to meet."

"But why?"

"It's a little hard to question why gods do what they do." Ace laughed. "But maybe they wanted us to part some advice for you."

"Wish for the power of the True King, Noct." Lightning said. "It'll take some time, but you'll get there." With that Lightning and Odin jumped off from the balcony, blade flashing to strike down at the enemies Noctis couldn't see.

"Good luck." Ace waved a final time before his figure faded into fire and flew up into the sky.

Noctis could only watch as Valhalla vanished. With the floor gone underneath him, he sank down into crystal space. He started, Carbuncle suddenly licked him on his cheek. The furry friend gave Noctis what was equivalent to a smile, his horn shining ruby light and he too vanished. A familiar warmth passed throughout his body, and Noctis just knew this was Carbuncle's way of saying good luck as well.

Umbra strolled over and nuzzled Noctis' face. He put one paw on Noctis' hand, the one wearing the ring, and barked. 

Noctis gave Umbra a good scratching, lightly huffing in amusement. "Yeah, yeah. I got it. You gotta go too right?"

Barking again, Umbra turned away and disappeared.

Noctis closed his eyes, ring growing warm.

He hoped to live up to their expectations. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...this ended up being a pep talk for Noct? What I envisioned to be a short, short drabble became this thing. not beta'd
> 
> Bahamut's dialogue is a rough translation from the Japanese VO, I prefer this one because it implied Noctis is the one that needed to find the power rather than waiting for the power to come to him.


	4. Atramento

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whenever you receive an Astral's 'blessing', you receive their mark. I was a tad disappointed to not see anything on Noctis actually.

_Old tales tell of six gods who have stood watch over Eos since antiquity._  
_It is said they now slumber, conserving their strength, waiting to awaken upon the coming of a plague known as the Starscourge._

                -The Six and the Oracle I

* * *

_I. Archaean_

Cold, cold fingers softly cupped his face, the familiar touch so very much like her essence and identity. A kiss like death graced his forehead and he let out a sigh, the meteor resting on his shoulder seemed a bit lighter.

_My strong, pitiful child. Soon the True King will come and it will all end._

He let out a rumble, the earth trembling beneath his feet in his displeasure.

_The Oracle and young king will come, do give them a chance. This is the one chance to fix your brethren's wrath._

And so Titan waits, holding a fallen angel's meteor and hoped Her judgment was not false. He forgot how tiny humans were, he was impressed when he slowly wakens from hearing the Oracle's song and receiving a part of her life force. Clear eyes stared back at him, without any doubt and full of resignation. 

He's not impressed when the king arrives after his multiple summons. The king's eyes are clouded with doubt, fear, and so naive. Titan suspects he is not aware of what his task would entail and is thankful he will not be the one to inform, this is why he doesn't bless random humans. Look where it got the Six into, the Accursed roaming around, a blight to the world and an incompetent young king with shoulder's too small to carry the world's burden.

_"He will prove himself! Would you blame us for being selfish for letting him live a carefree life?"_

_Oh pitiful king_ , Titan says, seeing the king grimace.  _Their kindness will be your weakness._

And he swipes at the king and his retainers.

The king needs to be strong. So Titan smacks the earth again and again, seeing if the king will stand every time. He ignores the missiles coming from the Accursed's army, his lone eye focused only on one target.

Such a small thing, and yet he can match his strength (not his full strength, no human, Chosen or not, would've survived). He roars when his arm is frozen and broken, but he is satisfied.

He leers down at the king and lets his energy form the covenant. Gold light stream down to the king's upper arm, three rings wrapped around similar to his own.

He sends the king one vision in consolation, language far beyond the two of them.

He will trust the Oracle. 

 

_II. Fulgurian_

At long last Ramuh heard the Oracle's song, waking him from his long sleep. The astral bent down and gazed curiously at the human. He stroked his beard and agreed to the Oracle's plea, lightning flashing as he laughed at her stunned expression. Chuckling, he reminded her that not all Astrals would be hard to convince like Titan, but he warned her out of the five of them, the sea goddess would be the hardest.

Ramuh summoned a small cloud to support the Oracle as she coughed and doubled over.

"Thank you." The Oracle wiped away the traces of blood from her face and hands. Ramuh could see how her body is barely holding on, he had thought humans would be frail but at least the Oracle proved him wrong. He almost felt worried when the Oracle faltered as she took a step but when he saw Shiva's incarnation it vanished.

Goodness, he was becoming more like the Glacian, feeling attachment to mortals now. 

Reassured that the Oracle would not keel over, the Stormsender commanded the clouds to gather over Duscae. He will split into three to give the Oracle time to cross the waters.

It was somewhat endearing to Ramuh, seeing the young king fumble about, collecting his powers. So raw and free, full of emotion and yet not. He dared not to speak, he feared he would cause pain to the mortal, he'd let the incarnation handle that part.

As the last of his powers was collected, he let his energy mark the side of the king's temple with a small thunderbolt. 

 

_III. Hydraean_

Before, she cared for Eos along with the other Astrals and loved her duty. She loved blessing the land their Mater granted to the Six. 

But they were betrayed and due to their haste a blemish walked on Eos. Leviathan grew disgusted at the warfare the mortals created, how dare they destroy the efforts the Six made to bless Eos. Even more disgusting how the Accursed made the humans Mater loved into the daemons. 

So she slept. Leviathan wanted to sleep forever and ignored the other's Messengers asking for her patience for the Chosen King.

How she raged when the Oracle woke her from her slumber. She was tired of everything. She howled and screamed as the disgusting mortal-daemons attacked her, she whipped torrents of water to everything she could target, buildings, machines, the Chosen King. 

She was not expecting the king to rage back. She roared in pain as he warped and struck over and over again, ripping her fins and flesh. He was strong yes, but only aided by the Oracle. She did not want to form the covenant, she wanted to drown the pair but was stopped by her brethren.

He was smaller, remarkably so. Leviathan does give the king some credit, it's not an easy feat to defeat the giant. In the past he would've towered over her. His disappointing gaze has not changed at all though. Almost huffing in amusement, she nodded and watched him disappear.

Fine, she'll form the covenant but she wouldn't be  _that_ helpful.

Tendrils of blue light spiralled down to the king, and a water wave marked his hip.

Power spent, regrettably she couldn't move as the Oracle listed over and the Accursed took her body.

She'll have her revenge soon.

 

_IV. Glacian_

She remembered Mater fondly watching over the humans, and out of the Six Shiva shared her same fascination but not love. They were almost like...pets. The humans needed the Six to live and make the land fertile and regrettably protection from the Astral themselves. They were interesting, but Shiva could not understand Mater's love yet.

Ifrit's rampage may have destroyed Solheim, but Titan prevented more damage by catching and forever carrying the shard. Bahamut might have made a slight mistake, but at least now there were two noble human lines that would help keep back the scourge and forever banishing it.

It all rested on the Chosen One.

Knowing that salvation would arrive on day, Shiva slept and saw the world through her Messengers. Despite the devastation brought to Solheim, the humans still created weaponry and fought each other. She saw how the Lucis Kings and Queens fought against Niflheim, sometimes alone and sometimes with the Oracle at the time. She saw how the New Wall became smaller and smaller and she thought, this had to end.

However, the thought wasn't enough. She was not expecting the Accursed to have made the magitek infantry so advanced, she nearly died but quickly transferred her soul to her most trusted Messenger.

It was the first time she fully inhabited a Messenger, so the two of them needed some time to learn how to share a body. Once there were no more accidental freezing of the immediate surroundings, Shiva returned once more to the Oracle. Gentiana explained the covenant's price and the True King's fate and then Shiva shared who and what the Accursed came to be. 

Shiva felt an odd warmth flow within her body when Lunafreya made Shiva promise to aid Noctis if her body should fail before healing the Accursed.

 _Ahh,_ Shiva thought to herself, _Maybe this is the same feeling Mater felt._

She did not cry when Lunafreya passed, and even though she knew it was futile she felt some satisfaction when she froze the Accursed. Like so many years ago, Gentiana gazed fondly down at Noctis and released her form. She presented the trident and left her mark on Noctis' chest.

She wondered if it was cruel that her mark was a sylleblossom flower.

 

  
_V. Draconian_  

The others decided to sleep on Eos, hidden by nature but Bahamut decided to reside in the Crystal. He wanted to see each coronation of Kings and Queens of Lucis.

Sometimes they would converse, if Bahamut was feeling kind he would offer advice but many times he would slumber, waiting for that one special day the Chosen would be born.

And that day finally arrived. The last time he had awoken, he remembered King Mors, but the mortal before him was slightly differing in appearance. In his arms he carried a wide-eyed boy, large blue eyes blinked owlishly at the Crystal.

"Noctis," The king said gently, "This is the Crystal that all Lucis Kings and Queens protect. One day, you too will protect the Crystal."

"It's pretty."

"It is, isn't it?" The father chuckled, he shifted Noctis in his arms and addressed the power of the Lucis line. "My name is Regis, son of Mors. This here is Noctis, my heir."

Bahamut didn't feel a sense of loss, knowing now that Mors was deceased. He was more interested in the heir. There was something about the young human, but Bahamut didn't know _why._ The Crystal shined brighter and small tendrils of light wrapped around the pair. Bahamut ignored the small cry from the boy and the words of comfort from Regis. He made the light warm as possible, fluttering around and when the boy touched the light Bahamut just  _knew_.

Blue eyes turned shining purple as Noctis received the Crystal's power. Regis shouted, stepping backwards to create distance from the Crystal but it was too late, the connection was made.

"Noctis!" Regis smoothed back long bangs, the purple faded back to blue before Noctis shivered and collapsed in his father's arms. "What did you do!?"

 _The True King finally arrived._ Bahamut breathed out, tension he didn't know existed seeped out of his form.  _He will bring light back to the star, rid the scourge._

Regis hurried out of the chamber, calling for a medic to check over the Chosen.

From then on Bahamut never saw the True King again, but due to the Crystal's connection Bahamut knew he was alive. Although at one point their connection became very faint so he had sent one of Messengers to check on their Saviour, it would not do if he perished.

The Chosen King's father would visit, begging for Bahamut to give him his son's fate, but Noctis' fate was sealed, there was nothing that could be done. One last conversation with Regis, and Bahamut went into slumber once more. He knew Regis would send Noctis out of Insomnia, and the Crystal would be captured, but Bahamut knew he and Noctis would meet.

Bahamut would let the Chosen King know of his fate and the blood price. This time, he would guide and protect the Lucis King as he slumbers, seeking the Light. Once the ring waxes full, he would then form the covenant.

He thought it would only be fitting for his mark to be on the king's back, fifteen swords spanning along his shoulder blades like wings. 

 

_VI. Infernian_

Nothing, Ifrit thought, nothing would convince him to form a covenant. He ignored the pleading of his brethren's Messengers, he ignored the pain from the wounds covering his body and the burns along the half of his body.

He only cared about the being in his arms, he gently laid down the body and gathered as much wood as he could. He piled them high around the two of them and set it on fire. Gently cradling the other, Ifrit sighed and watched as a thick slime emerged from the two of them into the sky.

As the flames grew and Ifrit became weaker, he vowed that only in defeat would a covenant be formed, but he would not be summoned. That right was only reserved for one being only, and she was already dead.

As the end drew near, Ifrit closed his eyes and waited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally this would've started out as Prom going Noct omg you got a tat why didn't you tell meeeee, TATTOOS FOR EVERYONE
> 
> but then it turned into this, cause Astrals are cool.
> 
> The last bit with Ifrit, I urge you to read this thread, it's fascinating and I really hope it's true and SE expands on the world of Eos.
> 
> https://www.reddit.com/r/FFXV/comments/5t367b/pitioss_ruins_revelations/


	5. Pueritia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wanted more baby Noctis.
> 
> And animals, all the animals.

_Oh, who decides from where up high?  
I couldn't say "I need more time"  
Oh, grant that I can stay the night  
Or one more day inside this life  
  
_               - _Too Much Is Never Enough_ , Florence + The Machine

* * *

"Your Highness, wouldn't you prefer to wait inside the Citadel?"

Ignis' soft voice made Noctis turn around. The future advisor let out a small sigh as Noctis pouted and stubbornly remained seated on the steps of the Citadel. Everyday, without fail after his daily lessons, he would remain until nightfall in hopes he could get a chance to play with King Regis.

On the heir's birthday King Regis had gotten Noctis a soccer ball (after very not-so-subtle hints that included a soccer ball picture next to the king's breakfast plate), Ignis had never seen Noctis look so ecstatic before. However, right after Noctis' birthday pressure from Niflheim military became more prominent and required King Regis to endless meetings that started early in the day and late in the evening.

Sometimes, Noctis would be able to catch his father for a quick chat, a hug, and be carried in Regis' arms (he would pout saying he was a big kid, but secretly he loved just being closer to his dad) into the Citadel for a late dinner. Noctis wanted to play with Regis, but he noticed every time how his dad slightly limped while carrying him and how tired his face looked coming back.

He remembered one of his older nursemaid explain that a king is always busy and that he couldn't be selfish, that he had to share with the public. Noctis had thrown a tantrum hearing that and received a pinch on the arm for acting 'unbecoming'. Despite multiple attempts to get Noctis to explain why he was upset from Regis, he remained tight-lipped.

He never saw that nursemaid again, she was replaced by a younger one that was kinder and more patient.

However, the old nursemaid's words struck a cord in Noctis and even though it sucked, he decided he would share his dad. Even if sometimes he wouldn't see his dad for a few days at a time, and the moments together would be short.

It was enough...for now.

"Your Highness, it's not safe for you to be out here."

Noctis sighed, he pointed to his right and then slowly behind Ignis. "There's a guard there and there. It's safe here. Also it's Noct."

"Squirt's got you there." Gladio's loud voice popped up behind Ignis, the advisor almost fell as the shield gave him a heavy pat on the back. Gladio sat down next to Noctis and ruffled the younger's hair.

"Stop it! And I'm not a squirt!"

"You'll always be a squirt if you can't reach my shoulders."

"Perhaps this is why you should start eating your vegetables, Your Highness."

"But it's gross. And you're just too big Gladio, no one is taller than you."

"Maybe you should listen to Iggy and eat your veggies."

"Noooo..." Noctis whined, before he could say anything more he heard a small sound. From the corner of his eyes he saw a small grey blob streak across in front of him and jump around the corner. "What was that?"

Gladio tilted his head, "What was what?" 

Noctis stood up and walked towards the small pond where he last saw the grey blob. There was a small cat meowing and pawing at something on the ground. There was a little black bird trying to hop away.

"Hey! Stop that." Noctis shooed the cat away and scooped up the bird. It chirped in his hands and didn't seem too frightened.

"Iggy! Gladio! I found a hurt bird!" Noctis ran back to his friends, trying not to jostle the bird too much. "What do I do? A cat was hurting it."

"Oh dear." Ignis peered down at the bird. "It doesn't seem too injured, perhaps with a bit of rest it will fly off."

"What about medicine? When I got hurt the doctors always made me drink gross stuff."

Gladio patted Noctis' head, grinning. "That 'gross stuff' is only meant for people Noct. Don't think a bird will drink it."

"Oh."

The bird chirped and flapped its wings, it hopped up to perch on top of Noctis' hand. It groomed itself before taking off and the three of them saw two other birds join it and flew away from the Citadel.

"Bye!" Noctis waved up at the birds.

The sound of an engine brought everyone's attention to the front, a sleek black car pulled up and Noctis grinned.

"Dad!"

* * *

 "Iggy."

"Yes, Gladio?"

"Tell me I'm not imagining things, but there is a dog sleeping on the bed with Noct yeah?"

"That is correct."

"So....why?"

"Judging by the bandage around the leg, I assume it was injured and His Highness decided it would need to recover in his room."

Noctis continued to sleep blissfully unaware of how his friends were confused. The small dog opened its eyes and stared at the two, let out a small bark, and curled closer to the young boy.

"They're both too cute to wake up."

"His Highness has lessons in an hour. Considering how long it takes him to wake up, we must wake him up now."

" _You_ can do that Iggy." Gladio walked over to a chair and sat down, leaning back to enjoy the show. He knows how hard it is to wake up the sleepy prince. After forming the bond with the Crystal, apparently it tends to make Noctis sleepy. Generally the bond would form once the Lucis heir reached adulthood, so for that much power in a small body, it only made sense for Noctis to sleep it off.

"Fine." Ignis marched forward and was about to lift the covers before the dog growled and tried to bite Ignis' hands. Gladio smirked at the dumbfounded look on the future advisor's face. 

"Knew that was going to happen, by the way."

"A warning would've been appreciated." Ignis huffed out. He slowly moved his hands to grasp the edge of the covers but had to snap his hands back as the dog moved again to bite them. This continued for a while until Noctis groaned and finally opened his eyes.

"Iggy? What're doing?"

Ignis checked his watched. "Your lesson begins in 40 minutes, Your Highness. I was in the process of waking you up but your friend thinks otherwise."

Noctis jolted and sat up, eyes wide before relaxing as the dog barked and began licking his face. "Hey, boy. You feeling better?"

Ignis and Gladio glanced at each other and shared a smile. Neither of them wanted to remind Noctis about his lessons, they wanted to indulge themselves in the laughter and giggling.

* * *

"Noct?"

Regis looked up from his dish and across the table to his son. Today's lunch dish included a variety of vegetables which he knew his son hated, along with a meaty broth, and bread. Noctis was clad in the usual royal black colour scheme, since the weather became a bit chillier he had a hoodie and jeans on today.

"Yeah dad?" Noctis had a pout on his face, using his fork to push his vegetables around the dish. After that gross pea/bean soup, he hated any vegetables and he knew if he ate them he might grow bigger than Gladio but  _still_.

"Did you happen to know that you have a creature in your hoodie?"

As if on cue a soft 'meow' pipped up from Noctis' hoodie. Noctis threw his hands up behind his head to shush the cat, all the while staring wide-eyed at Regis.

Regis continued to eat his dinner. "Ahh, a cat."

"Uhhh..."

The king waved a hand to an attendant, they left and a few minutes later came back with some food for the cat. Smelling the food, it crawled out of Noctis' hoodie and hopped onto the table, scarfing down the food. The cat was a tuxedo with a blue collar around its neck. 

"There, now everyone can eat. Finish your veggies Noct." 

Noctis continued to stare at Regis, glancing up from the cat to his father. Deciding it would be too much energy, he shrugged and continued push his veggies around the plate.

"I found her near school." 

"I see."

"I was going to put up lost posters and ask around to find her owner. 'Cause she has a collar."

"Good thinking, Noct."

"Okay," Noctis breathed out, shoulders relaxing. "Okay."

"You know Noct if you wanted to have a pet I would not object."

"Really!?" Noctis' eyes brightened and he grinned at Regis, but then they dimmed and Noctis stared sullenly at his plate. "But...they would get lonely since I'm always at school or doing lessons. And...you wouldn't be there either."

Regis wanted to assure Noctis that he  _would_ be there, they would play together with the pet, maybe more than one so that they could play together and wouldn't get lonely as Noctis and Regis were out of the Citadel during the day.

But the both of them knew how promises were made and broken.

Regis wanted to give Noctis anything to make him happy, but his sweet, sweet boy merely wanted more time with his father; and that is one thing Regis could not do as Niflheim continued to conquer more and more Lucis lands. 

"I'm sorry, Noctis."

Noctis started and stared shocked at his dad. "No! No it's fine. I mean you're here now right? That's enough...I can't be selfish."

But it could be better, Regis wanted to say but couldn't. The two of them sat in silence as the guards and attendants shifted awkwardly. Thankfully, the cat decided it was time to trot towards Noctis and proceed to start trying to lick Noctis' face.

Thankful for the cat for distracting Noctis, Regis resisted the urge to massage the side of his temple. For now he would focus on blinking back the tears. So  _young_ and Noctis already understood how he could not have all of his father's time, he heard from the servants how everyday Noctis would wait at the Citadel steps for him and Six he tries so hard to finish his meetings early to spend more time but there was too much to be finished early in the day.

What an utter failure of a father he is, Aulea would be so disappointed. 

"Would you like some help in finding her owner?"

"Really!?" Noctis almost shouted. "Are you sure? I thought Mr. Crailas said you had a meeting with someone after lunch."

"Clarus, son, Clarus." Regis chuckled, it would be a while before Noctis could get Clarus' name correctly. "Ah well, I can always push that back. I think I need a break."

"Your Majesty..." Regis' attendant stepped forward and stopped at the king's look.

Winking at Noctis, Regis informed the attendant to deliver a message to his shield. "Servus, do tell Clarus I seem to have contracted a flu. I will be recovering in my room and ask that no one disturb me."

Clarus would be upset and he would be up for an all-nighter to finish paperwork and other things but Noctis' cheer made everything worth it.

"Now then, Noct finish your vegetables and then we can start the search."

"Aw dad...."

"I heard from a certain someone that you wanted to be taller than Gladiolus, you do need to eat your vegetables in order for that to happen."

"Daaaaad...."

* * *

 

"Hey buddy." Noctis knelt down and gave the cat the food Monica made. "Don't forget to thank the chef okay?"

The cat meowed and began to eat the dish.

Prompto cooed over the cat and grinned at Noctis. "You really do have a soft spot for animals, huh?"

"They do bring out a nicer Noct." Ignis shared, remembering how his charge kept finding injured animals and hid them in his room. 

Gladio swung an arm out and gave a noogie to the king's head. "You could show some of that niceness to us too, you know."

Noctis laughed and tried to shove Gladio away. "Can, but I won't."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the fluff (and a bit of sadness). I didn't really have a plot, but after finishing that cat quest in Galdin and Caem I just imagined Noctis hiding a bunch of animals in his room. 
> 
> I haven't caught up with Ultimania translations, but lets just say Gladio and Ignis are there when Noctis is younger. The Brotherhood incident occurs after Noctis' accident and his personality change.


	6. Indissimilis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little self-indulgence, because I couldn't resist the fact that they both had rings containing ancestral powers 
> 
> Definitely AU
> 
> Lucis and Niflheim tensions still high, invasions has not happened yet. Think of this as a party for Noctis reaching twenty years old. Vongola family are friends with Caelum family.

"For someone's birthday celebration, you don't seem happy."

Noctis glanced back over and saw Ignis, he raised his champagne glass as a greeting and turned his sight back to the floor. They were currently in one of the circle glass towers of the Citadel. Ceiling to floor-length windows allowed everyone to see Insomnia from all angles. Even though one could not see the stars clearly due to the the clouds, the surrounding buildings and residential lights replaced them.

The guests, ranging from politicians to family friends, were dressed in suits and gowns and were chatting amongst themselves. Every so often waiters carrying new appetizers and drinks wandered around. Over in a corner, a string quartet played music fitting the atmosphere.

It looked and felt like a wonderful party, but Noctis hated it.

Noctis, at the beginning, tried to make his rounds to be polite and talk to each group of guests. However, the prince tired of politicians trying to get him to marry their daughters, hidden insults behind casual comments of his life and his choice of friends, and overall  _fake-ness_ of his birthday party. As Noctis scanned the floor, his eyes caught his father's and Noctis gave what he hoped to be a reassuring smile, he knew Regis was well aware of his dislike for large parties like this but they both knew it was a mandatory formality.

"Well you know me, I'm the life of the party."

Ignis let out a soft snort and snagged a champagne glass from one of the waiters. "I do recall many instances of you falling asleep during Prompto's parties. Well...now that I think about it, when you wake up afterwards you are the life of the party."

"One day I will get back at Prompto for always drawing on my face when I'm asleep."

"Perhaps you should be more aware of your surroundings then, Noct."

Noctis was about to give Ignis another smart remark but he closed it when he thought about the reason he always sleeps so heavily near his close friends. "Well...it's hard to keep your guard up when you're surrounded by people you trust."

Ignis blinked at Noctis and coughed, it was quite rare for Noctis to be so opened about his feelings. The future advisor could feel his face warm up, he should keep track both of their consumption of alcohol tonight.

"Prince Noctis!"

A young man with gravity-defying brown hair walked up to Noctis. Similar to the prince, the man also wore a striped suit and the only accessories he had was a pin and ring embellished with his family crest. It was an interesting crest compared to the Lucian one, a bullet within a shield, two rifles crossed above it, and above that was a clam shell. 

Noctis smiled back at the man, "Hey Tuna."

Tsunayoshi pouted, looking very much still like a high school student despite being twenty-four. "Tsunayoshi. It's not my fault that when we first met  _you_ couldn't pronounce my name."

Tsunayoshi and Noctis first met after Noctis returned from Tenebrae. The two families had close ties in the past, stories told that the first Vongola Don had saved the Lucis monarch's life at one point and since then the two families' leader were always allies due to an oath made from the founding heads. Seeing that the Vongola family had a young boy around Noctis' age, Regis was hoping Noctis would befriend Tsunayoshi. To his delight, they did and became close friends but Regis was not expecting himself to also gain another friend. He had met Timoteo, the current head of Vongola, a handful of times, but once the two of them talked about their young charges the two hit it off, becoming the classic 'old guys bragging about their grandson/son'.

"Not my fault your name is so hard to pronounce. Also, it's Noct." 

"You're able to say all my Guardians' names right!" Tsuna playfully punched Noctis' shoulder, the blue gem on his hand glinting in the light. "I won't call you that until you get my name right."

Noctis laughed. "Speaking of your Guardians, where are they?"

"Takeshi is over there speaking with the Shogun, you know how he gets around his idol. The others decided not to attend this party since they hate the 'stuffiness' of it, but they will be attending the after party later tonight."

Noctis grinned, "Awesome. Can't wait."

Ignis groaned. The Vongolas were known for their wild parties, even more so for birthdays. The last one celebrated was Gladio's and Ignis could still remember the headache he and the Tsuna's righthand man Hayato had dealing with the aftermath. Although most of the people attending were quite reasonable, the combined forces of Gladio and Ryohei when they heard the theme of the party was proving one's strengths...no one could've stopped them.

Noctis patted Ignis' shoulder in mock sympathy while giving Tsuna a high-five. "I'm surprised Hayato only let you come with one Guardian."

"Who said Takeshi was the only one coming?"

Ignis winced at the tight grip Noctis had on his shoulder when the hitman announced his presence. The future advisor nodded towards Reborn and sighed at the smirk on the other's face, one of his favourite pastimes was to always try to spook Noctis.

"Reborn, you suck."

Reborn chuckled. The hitman and tutor was dressed in his regular black three-piece suit and wearing his signature fedora. His companion, Leon the chameleon, was wrapped around his neck and flickered a tongue out in greeting.

"Now now, the Prince of Lucis should not be using such language."

"Bite me."

"Your Highness!" Ignis exclaimed, resisting the urge to face palm while Tsuna bursted out in laughter.

Time passed by quickly as the four of them caught up in the latest news with each family. Thankfully, the other guests left them alone but Noctis could feel their gaze. Despite Tsuna's influence and hard work, Vongola still did not have a reputable reputation, it irked Noctis that others judged Tsuna and his family based on the past and not the present.

The sound of the metal brace hitting against the tiles made Noctis turn around. His father and both Amicitias came into view. He smiled lightly and decided to forgo protocols. "Hey dad."

Regis smiled back warmly and gently laid a hand on Noctis' shoulder. "Happy birthday son." His smile grew wider at how Noctis became bashful, "Don't overdo it at the after party alright?"

"No guarantees."

"See that you do." Clarus, slipping next to the king stood at parade rest as he scanned the surroundings. His son, Gladio mirrored his father and took his place next to Noctis, although his stance was more relaxed, he grinned at Tsuna and Rebon. Clarus' face looked stern, but his eyes twinkled with mirth. "I would not like to see another repeat of what happened at Gladiolus' celebration."

Gladio blushed lightly, "I wasn't that bad, right?"

Laughing softly, Regis greeted the others.

"Good to see you two again, Mr. Sawada, Mr. Reborn."

"Likewise, Your Majesty." Tsuna replied, bowing slightly. "Nonno sends his regards and regrets that he could not attend."

"A pity. I hope all is well?" Regis asked. 

"Yes, just a minor cold but Coyote wanted to make sure it would not grow complicated."

"Oh, I can definitely relate to the well-meant coddling." Regis' gaze shifted to his Shield who let out a soft cough. "Please send my regards as well to Don Vongola. Perhaps we can meet at another time."

The king's voice was relaxed, but upon closer inspection one could see the stiffness in the king's body and how his shoulders seem to droop in exhaustion. Concerned, Noctis opened his mouth to suggest Regis to retire early when Tsuna spoke first.

"Your Majesty, I have not noticed this yet but your cane is very well done."

Reborn snorted, muttering a soft 'No-Good Tsuna' while everyone blinked in confusion. Regis looked down at the cane, made to look like the crest of Lucis, in his right hand. He lifted it to get a better look, the Ring of the Lucii shining as it hit the light.

"Yes, it is quite lovely I suppose."

Ignoring the flush he could feel growing on his face as Noctis gave him a bewildered look, Tsuna continued on, "It's just, I have never seen a cane like that before. May I take a closer look?"

Regis nodded and held the cane in both hands parallel to the ground. 

Tsuna took one step and lifted his right hand, the one adorning the Vongola ring, and laid it near the top of the cane. Regis gazed down patiently at Tsuna, while the younger blushed, knowing how weird his request sounded. But, he had to fulfill his grandfather's request. 

To anyone staring, they could see the future Vongola Don staring in admiration of the King's cane. They scoffed and laughed behind their hands, gossiping to their neighbours about how they were known to be eccentric and not right in the head. 

But to those with magic and bonded to it, they could see orange flames emerging from the Vongola ring. Noctis almost shouted in alarm when he saw flames erupt from Tsuna's forehead, but Reborn clamped a hand on his shoulder in warning, he mouthed 'just watch' and Noctis continued to watch. The flames didn't seem to be hurting Tsuna, and he had to admit, it was kind of cool seeing Tsuna's eyes glow orange.

The flames flickered from one ring to the other. It circled around the Ring of the Lucii before shooting into it. A soft, warm glow, the same shade of orange of the flames, surrounded Regis' body and pulsed once before disappearing. Regis closed his eyes, sighing contentedly. The lines on his face softened and his body relaxed, no longer looking stiff and lined with exhaustion.

"And thus, the oath renewed." Tsuna murmured, bowing his head as the flame and glow from his eyes diminished. 

"I thank you, Tsunayoshi." Regis chuckled, "I feel much better already."

"Tsuna, what did you do?" Noctis asked in amazement.

"You'll know in due time, kingling." Reborn sauntered over to Tsuna and ruffled his hair. "You know Tsuna, if you wanted to hold His Majesty's hand, you could've just said so."

"That is not what I meant to do!" Tsuna protested, fixing his hair. He suddenly stopped and stared at Noctis. "Hey! You said my name right!"

Without a beat, Noctis denied Tsuna's claim. "Nope, I said Tuna."

"No, you definitely said Tsuna! Right guys?"

"I heard Tuna."

"Indeed, I heard Tuna as well."

"...You all suck."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who don't know what Katekyo Hitman Reborn is all about, just know that the Tsuna's flames are meant to harmonize. 
> 
> The Ring of the Lucii takes a huge toll on the body so Tsuna's flames are meant to balance out the burden and give the current ring holder some peace and relaxation.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Omake: 
> 
> -A phone call at Hammerhead after 10 year time skip-
> 
> "Hey Tuna."
> 
> "Yeah?"
> 
> "When you first wore the ring, did you see a lot of dead ancestors?"
> 
> "Not at first, but I went through a trial where my ancestors almost tried to kill me."
> 
> "Okay..."
> 
> "Do you see the past kings and queens of Lucis?"
> 
> "I kinda hear them rather than see."
> 
> "Oh."
> 
> "Yeah."
> 
> "Weird."
> 
> "Yup."


	7. Battiade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Random thought: what if each Lucii King had a special tradition that they form their own swords when they reach a certain age?
> 
> (Please ignore the fact that the Engine Blade existed during Regis' travels...)

Ever since Noctis was young, he knew the Lucis family had many traditions.

First one was that all of his clothing must be black. When he was young he had asked his father why there were he and almost everyone in the Citadel wore black. The only splash of colouring seen sometimes were the inner lining of jackets and the vibrant red on the bottoms soles of shoes.

His father simply smiled and said it was tradition and the reason why was something far older and mysterious than the Six. Noctis saw that his father's gaze rested upon the emblem of Lucis and that familiar pinched look crossed over Regis' face made Noctis decide to not probe more for answers.

Second was that the king always had an advisor and a shield. Noctis guessed it was cool to have Ignis and Gladio around despite Ignis' constant nagging and Gladio's love to smack Noctis down during training. But besides that, it was nice to have friends around his age in the Citadel. Clarus was a bit intimidating and Noctis didn't have the patience anymore to sit next to his father in meetings and listen to the council drone about things that left Noctis with his head swimming in confusion.

There were other traditions that Noctis wanted to put off as long as possible. Ones where he would need to build a tomb for his father and seal his father's body and sword inside with the powers of the old kings; never mind the fact that Noctis knew his father would love to be buried next to his mother.

He also didn't want to think that the King's Shield would also needed to be buried right outside the tomb. The Shield's duties continue even after death.

There were some that he was looking forward though. When the heir apparent reached twenty years old, they were to go on a journey throughout the Lucis lands to collect the past glaives of the Lucis family. Insomnia was great and all, but Noctis wanted to see beyond the Wall.

The other one Noctis was looking forward to is creating his own glaive. Each Kings and Queens of Lucis were known for their personal arm and those were created on their sixteenth birthday with the help of the Crystal. Every year he couldn't wait for the next year to come, just so that he could create his own sword. Noctis remembered trying to get more details from Regis but he would only smile and tell Noctis to patiently wait.

Years past and Noctis found himself standing inside the Crystal chamber with Regis.

"Nervous?"

"Not really," Noctis shrugged, trying to play cool but inside his stomach was rolling. "It's just been a while."

Regis' expression darkened for a second before smoothing out. It wasn't a pleasant memory, the Crystal marking Noctis as the Chosen King and having an influx of magical energy surging through his tiny body resulting in a coma for a few days.

"Yes, quite some time since you've last been here."

The two of them moved closer to the Crystal. Regis stopped a few steps behind Noctis and watched as his son took a deep breath and reached a hand out to the Crystal. It hummed and shone brightly, as if delighted to see its Chosen after so long.

Noctis closed his eyes at the light.

_Well met Chosen._

"What the...Who are you?"

_I dwell inside the Crystal but that is for another time. It is time for you to receive your own glaive._

In the hand Noctis held up to touch the Crystal, he could feel something tangible forming in his grasp.

_But first a query. What drives you to seek this glaive?_

At first Noctis wanted to say because it was tradition, that this couldn't be avoided and all future kings and queens of Lucis needed to receive their own glaive. But in all honesty, Noctis wanted to be like his dad. Noctis remembered how strong his father looked when he battled the Marilith with the swords of the past kings. He remembered how his father knocked down enemies with his own sword down during the invasion of Tenebrae.

He wanted to walk tall and be a son his father would be proud of.

Noctis wanted to protect his dad like how he protected him when he was younger.

But it hurt, because that would never happen due to the ring and the wall. Noctis has long accepted the fact his father would die sooner then he wanted because of his duties. But this thought had stayed with Noctis ever since he'd known about the tradition, before reality buried that childish thought deep down in his heart. 

Noctis surprised himself when he felt wetness tickling behind his closed eyes. He thought he cried all his tears out of his body when he found out the toll and eventual fate his father had from wearing the ring.

_I see. I expect much from you in due time, Chosen King._

Another flash of light and Noctis felt a solid object form. Gripping it tight, the light faded and he opened his eyes.

It was a peculiar sword, a mixture of tradition and modern flair. The blade was the length of a standard one-handed sword, black and silver etchings on the blade and a thin hilt, but the guard of the sword reminded Noctis of a car engine.

Noctis found it odd though, out of all the swords he remembered from reading about the past Lucis rulers, the swords were all traditional weapons that blacksmiths could replicate. However, this was the first time that the sword broke that tradition.

He thought back to the question the voice from the Crystal had asked. The only thing he thought of was that he wanted to be like this father.

And if Noctis were to think of anything that'd represent his father it would be the crown, the ring, his own sword...

...and the Regalia.

"Oh."

Noctis blinked down at the sword in his hands.

"Well done, Noctis." Regis slowly approached Noctis and tried to peer over his shoulder to have a closer look.

"Wait!" Noctis spun around and hid his sword behind his back. He felt his face grow hot, knowing his father he would know why his blade looked the way it did and he just knew his father would tease him about it.

"Noctis?"

The concerned look on Regis' face made Noctis feel guilty so he shyly brought his new sword to show his father. He couldn't bring himself to look at up when Regis realized why his sword was created like this. 

A soft exhale and a familiar hand cupping the side of face brought Noctis' gaze up. HIs father smiled gently at the petulant look on his son's face. 

"It's a splendid blade, Noctis." 

He couldn't help but smile back.

"Thanks dad."


End file.
